When temperatures reach the 80’s or higher, you might not even be tempted to leave the air-conditioned confines of your home or workplace, let alone work on house projects outside.

But these high temps beg a pretty common question — how hot is too hot for painting?

The ideal temperature depends on what type of paint you use.

We recommend 100% acrylic paint for most exteriors, and these latex paints work best when applied in temperatures between 50° and 85° Fahrenheit. However, if you decide to use oil-based paint, their ideal range is slightly broader — 40° to 90° Fahrenheit.

High temperatures bake paints.

At best, a too-high temp will cause the paint to dry too fast. With too hot of a surface, the paint never gets a chance to adhere and possibly leaving you with a cracked, peeled, or blistered exterior (below).

But Midwesterners know that temperature isn’t everything when it comes to working conditions! When painting the exterior of your home, you also have to consider precipitation, humidity, and wind speed.

Don’t work in wet or humid conditions.

You probably know that you shouldn’t apply fresh paint during, before, or after rain — but did you know that high humidity can lead to almost as many issues? The paint wants to dry but it can’t dry. Humidity causes condensation, which affects adhesion, which can result in streaks or faded spots.

The wind is no friend to paint.

Windy conditions blow debris into your paint and can lead to uneven drying. If the wind is blowing more than 15 miles per hour, it might even blow you off your ladder! The best wind speed for painting is anything under 8 mph — which is basically a gentle breeze.

Consult weather forecasts before scheduling time to paint.

Check your forecast for:

Temperatures between 50° and 85° Fahrenheit

Mild humidity between 40 and 70%

A stretch of time that will avoid precipitation – 24 hours before and after application

If you’re looking for a reliable weather report resource, forecast.io aggregates several different predictions together to give the most likely weather possibility.

Consider the house and the painter.

For best results, paint opposite the sun.

Painting between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a mild day will:

Ensure you have plenty of light to see what you’re painting

Let the house dry off any morning condensation

Give the exterior time to warm to the right temperature

Allow the paint to dry before the cool night comes

And if you have additional questions about painting conditions, ask the experts in our paint department. They love to help!

There’s a chill in the air and a few leaves are already falling. It’s autumn in the Midwest, meaning time to pick vegetables from the garden, visit an apple orchard or pumpkin patch, and enjoy the fall colors.

But it’s also time to check your to-do list and finish up the projects you skipped during the summer. It’s not too late to paint your front door, exterior walls, or outdoor trim, but the clock is ticking.

Fall is a great time to paint your home. After all, you don’t have to fight the summer heat. But you should follow these rules:

Most exterior paints and stains should not be applied in temperatures lower than 50° F. However, Hirshfield’s Paint Manufacturing has a line of premium 100% acrylic latex paints and primers that have been specially formulated to be used in temperatures as low as 35°F.

Temperatures should not drop below 35° for 36 hours after application to allow proper drying and film formation.

Here are some other tips to make your fall painting project successful:

The best hours to paint in the fall are between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

During this summer’s heatwave, we advised painting in the shade. In the fall months, paint your way around the house in the other direction. Follow the sun to speed up drying times.

Paint dries more slowly in lower temps, so if you need a second coat, wait at least 24 hours to let the first coat fully dry.

Watch those dew points! Paints, stains, or primers should not be applied unless the surface temperature is at least 5° higher than the dew point. (The dew point is the temperature at which moisture will condense on a surface).

Check the wind speeds. During the summer, a nice breeze is harmless. Now, even a 10 mph wind can fling falling leaves onto your wet paint! So be careful!

If you have any more painting questions, or need help choosing the perfect fall color, visit our experts in the paint department at your local Hirshfield’s location in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, or North Dakota.

When temperatures reach the 80’s or higher, you might not even be tempted to leave the air-conditioned confines of your home or workplace, let alone work on house projects outside.

But these high temps beg a pretty common question — how hot is too hot for painting?

The ideal temperature depends on what type of paint you use.

We recommend 100% acrylic paint for most exteriors, and these latex paints work best when applied in temperatures between 50° and 85° Fahrenheit. However, if you decide to use oil-based paint, their ideal range is slightly broader — 40° to 90° Fahrenheit.

High temperatures bake paints.

At best, a too-high temp will cause the paint to dry too fast. With too hot of a surface, the paint never gets a chance to adhere and possibly leaving you with a cracked, peeled, or blistered exterior (below).

But Midwesterners know that temperature isn’t everything when it comes to working conditions! When painting the exterior of your home, you also have to consider precipitation, humidity, and wind speed.

Don’t work in wet or humid conditions.

You probably know that you shouldn’t apply fresh paint during, before, or after rain — but did you know that high humidity can lead to almost as many issues? The paint wants to dry but it can’t dry. Humidity causes condensation, which affects adhesion, which can result in streaks or faded spots.

The wind is no friend to paint.

Windy conditions blow debris into your paint and can lead to uneven drying. If the wind is blowing more than 15 miles per hour, it might even blow you off your ladder! The best wind speed for painting is anything under 8 mph — which is basically a gentle breeze.

Consult weather forecasts before scheduling time to paint.

Check your forecast for:

Temperatures between 50° and 85° Fahrenheit

Mild humidity between 40 and 70%

A stretch of time that will avoid precipitation – 24 hours before and after application

If you’re looking for a reliable weather report resource, forecast.io aggregates several different predictions together to give the most likely weather possibility.

Consider the house and the painter.

For best results, paint opposite the sun.

Painting between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a mild day will:

Ensure you have plenty of light to see what you’re painting

Let the house dry off any morning condensation

Give the exterior time to warm to the right temperature

Allow the paint to dry before the cool night comes

And if you have additional questions about painting conditions, ask the experts in our paint department. They love to help!

Things to know when painting in cool weather

Rather than endure the sweltering summer heat, many people prefer to take on exterior painting projects in cooler, more temperate fall weather. However, crisp mornings and warm afternoons often give way to cool evenings and when the thermometer drops, painters must take heed of special precautions. If you’re considering applying a new exterior paint color to your home this fall Hirshfield’s expert, Mark Masica, says the best time to paint is typically between 10:00a.m. and 3:00p.m. He also has recommends these exterior painting tips for fall weather:

50-degrees

Masica says, for best results you should not apply paint or stains in temperatures below 50-degrees. Not following these guidelines can cut years off the life of the paint job, before cracking and loss of adhesion set in. However, Hirshfield’s Paint Manufacturing has a complete line of premium 100% acrylic latex paints and primers that have been specially formulated to be used in temperatures as low as 35°F. Keep in mind, in ideal situations, the air and surface temperatures should not drop below 35° for 36 hours after application to allow proper drying and film formation.

Start on the sunny side of the house

In the hot and humid summer months, it’s common practice for painters to begin painting on the shady side of a house and working around the home to avoid the glare of the sun. In the fall, it’s the exact opposite. When possible start painting on the sunny side of the house and follow the sun around your home.

Be patient

Keep in mind that lower temperatures mean slower drying and longer curing times, which means be patient. Allow ample time between coats, generally 24-hours. Masica adds, “this is especially critical when you’re painting with darker colors, which have more colorant, or when applying a latex paint over an alkyd primer.”

Pay attention to the dew points

Here’s a thumbnail meteorology lesson, the dew point is the temperature at which moisture will condense on a surface. So, what does this mean for you painters? Paints, stains, or primers should not be applied unless the surface temperature is at least 5° higher than the dew point. Remember that all surfaces to be stained or painted need to be clean and dry. If dew forms on a painted surface that hasn’t had a chance cure properly, you may experience some water spotting or surfactant leaching problems, especially in darker colors.